Autumn 1372

Ashara smiled and reached up to gently pat his chest as she looked out over the ruin. She wanted to remind him of the beautiful view from Sune's glade, seeing the Dawn in the Hall of Crystals, the snow-covered invisible sculptures they'd seen during yesterday's wintry morning, and the awe inspiring presence of the Dawnstone. There were wonders and beauty here that she hadn't imagined and would certainly never forget. In the face of the destruction before them though... She just couldn't find the words.

It was hard to believe that they were even in the same city! What kind of magical cataclysm could have wrought this much destruction?? Did someone break the proverbial staff? Did a baby flaming dragon avatar fall from the sky here?

It was impossible for Ashara's thoughts not to be led down the same path as Elric's had been. Calimport... At least here it no longer smelled of death and ash. The splatters of blood and gory remains of those that originally died in this city, after centuries, no longer stained the broken cobblestones. Yes, she was quite thankful for that.

"Silverymoon," she finally responded, after they were forced to tear their eyes from the scene and continue on. "I'd love to visit Silverymoon with you one day. They say that it's as close to the Myth Drannor that once was as anything that still exists and," she added with a teasing grin, "it would be a welcome departure from the war zones we seem to frequent!"

"Silverymoon then..." Elric heartily agreed. The Gem of the North ruled by the Lady Alustriel Silverhand. At least until recently if the caravan rumors were to be believed. The city was rumored to be as beautiful in appearance as it was people and definitely something he wanted to see. Maybe they'd winter there... Maybe they'd go home for a few months first. It was nearly a year since they'd left for Evereska.

Lost in such thoughts, the group moved silently across the bridge and followed the old trail to the south. The light of the morning sparkled across the large lake peacefully, though the surrounding area seemed more dead than alive. If magic was what kept Myth Drannor green and lush, then the dead magic was killing it. It was a sad sight to the half-elf. After seeing the effect the Shadovar and Phaerrrimm had on the once green Evereska, it seemed to the young man that all of the Elven glory was meant to wither and die.

A grimace crossed his face as they came upon a bridge. Like so much else, this was carved from fine stone, and had many arcane runes carved upon it. The island it led to held just a few burnt out walls surrounded by dried thorns on every side.

"Not nearly the wizard's tower I was expecting..." he muttered as they approached the bridge. He carefully touched the runes on the bridge, and relaxed noticeably when nothing happened. "Anyone know what these did?"

"Defense I imagine..." Jorelon answered. "There are places here where bridges may or may not be invisible on any given day... Rumors are wizards could make their bridges intangible too." He grinned a little. "Though that may have just been a way to save face after walking off the invisible bridge!"

Concerned, Ashara began twisting a braid around her hand as she stepped up next to Jorelon at the foot of the bridge. Gemblaunt Isle looked as if it had suffered its own personal cataclysm... Whether it happened seven centuries ago or more recently, was hard to tell from this distance. Either way, she was worried that this might be another dead end. At least there weren't demons flying around it!

"Whatever happened there on the island, it certainly doesn't look like there's much for us to pick through," she said turning to the priest. She tapped her foot tentatively on the bridge before taking that first step forward. "Do you think the information we seek might still be there amid the rubble?"

The priest led the way across the bridge and the peaceful... perhaps too peaceful lake toward the ruined home of the fabled gem-mage.

"I wouldn't give up hope just yet Sister Ashara..." Jorelon said confidently. "We're going to have some problems... but I still think it's possible."

"Really?" Elric said half-heartedly as he stared at the dark early morning water. The lapping sound made him uneasy for some reason.

"Certainly!" Came the cheerful answer. "It seems the common tradition was for the local archmages to keep their own crypts below the tower... along with anything else they found valuable. Most thieves I guess went right to the top of the tower, when they should have been going!"

Elric bit his tongue at that revelation. Seemed just yesterday he was debating with Therogeon the foolishness of putting a lab that close to a tower's foundation. The elder half-elf seemed confident,but Elric couldn't help but imagine the whole thing falling down with the slightest miscalculation.

Though with another look at the ruined tower in front of him, Tradition or not, nothing here convinced him he was wrong... He shot a wink at his wife and silently mouthed the words 'Don't tell Therogeon....'

"Our bigger problem will be looking for something specific." the priest continued. "Outside the Dawnspire, Divination simply doesn't work.. even if we weren't dealing with a dead magic issue... No detecting magic.... No locating objects... And we're not just looking for anything of value... We're looking for a ring. on or under an island..."

"Bahhh... Needle in a haystack it seems to me." The dwarf muttered as he started to hack at the overgrown thorns that kept them from the tower walls.

"Seems like we're assumin' an awful lot here..." the dwarf continued. "Something this valuable... probably still on the mages finger, which means the crypts..."

Elric felt an uncomfortable chill as he remembered Vailis' warning about disturbing the dead's slumber. Though since seeing the damage he wondered how much 'peace' the dead here knew.

"An' That's the best case scenario!" He argued between deep breaths. "For all we know his body ain't here... Could've died anywhere in the city." He pointed up to the ruined walls. "Or, he could've been up there... somewhere. Needle in a haystack!"

"Or, if the ring from the servant vanished when the wearer was in danger... where do the rings go?" Elric wondered aloud. "Back to Windsong tower? Or the headmaster himself?"

"We'll find out soon enough." Jorelon pointed down the path the Dwarf was cutting. "We're almost there." Looking where the young priest pointed was a large door with a strange rune carved across the entirety of the door.

The Veil Initiate walked silently behind everyone, haphazardly overhearing smatterings of their conversation as he surveyed the serene waters of Glyrryl Lake and the ruin of Arguth's former residence. Very little of worth remained standing on the Isle, but he had known that already from talking with other adventurers who'd made forays to it. The Gem-Mage possessed countless treasures during the course of his life---a combination of self-made magic, recovered magic, and gifts from the other high-priority personae inhabiting Myth Drannor, but Kaldric believed all these things might actually work in their favor on this hunt. "Towerking Rings appear as ordinary bands of silver or gold," he chimed in nonchalantly, a comment meant to add something to the party's discussion and act as the logical conclusion to his train of thought.

Silverymoon, he thought sourly, his plain amber eyes tracing the weathered rune carvings upon the door while the dwarf cleared a way through the overgrown path. The Dead Magic had stolen the cantrip making them appear as light-reflecting prisms. Likewise, his robe now looked an ordinary white, and his dull blond hair seemed naked without the multi-hued wizard mark. The mage struggled with self-conscious feelings without those magical tricks enhancing what he knew to be rather hideous features otherwise. His mother had been quite the beautiful woman, so his unknown father had done him few favors. Thus, the absence of magic not only disconnected Kaldric from his craft, it also greatly withered his emotional state because of how he changed physically. Silence became the norm for him during these times, and only the beauty of his wife spurred on moments of excitement and loquaciousness. Naturally, then, mention of rivals to her grandeur tended to stoke the fires of displeasure within the mage, whether intended or otherwise.

He had visited Silverymoon nearly a dozen years ago, not long after graduating from his private wizard studies in Thesk, in fact, with the hope of gaining some insight into mythalcraft. Evereska would have been the ideal location for such learning, of course, but the elves would never have permitted him access to their "last bastion" on the Faerunian mainland. As such, he was forced toward Alustriel's grand city, where a mythal also helped ward its borders. While Kaldric found its flowing architectural style visually stunning, it still paled by comparison to the uniquely blended styles weaved into Myth Drannor. By his own thinking, the couple would be better served basking in the splendor that was Myth Drannor today, despite her being in ruin. They would find more intelligent design here than could ever be seen in the cheap imitation currently thriving in the Silver Marches.

Kaldric quickened his pace as they approached the door, wanting to be the first to touch its ancient surface. Delicately, he traced the Gem-Mage's mark with the tips of his fingers, momentarily awed at the monumental accomplishments of this historical figure that flitted through his mind. Arguth had worked through her so intimately those centuries ago . . . it almost elicited as much jealousy as appreciation from the Veil Initiate, but he hid that well!

"We are about to embark on a journey into the life and death of a man more intimately attached to this city than any of us could ever hope to be," the mage said reverently. The thought practically elicited as much jealousy as appreciation from the Veil Initiate, but he hid that well with a long, exaggerated exhale. Pivoting just enough to stare at the others over his right shoulder, he enlightened, "She has a great respect for the memories of those entombed within her breast. See to it you treat them with that same respect, and you'll be surprised how well she'll take care of you. Remember, we're here to find a ring and acquire what knowledge we can. Nothing more."

He doubted they needed reminding, but the Kaldric felt obligated to do so anyway, which demanded serious intonation. Abruptly afterward, however, he smiled and stepped back, gesturing for one of the others to be honored as first to gain entry.

Another tomb robbing lecture...

At least Master Hueart had the excuse of not knowing them. She could see that perhaps he wouldn't want strangers rifling through his wife's unmentionable drawer. Vailis' comments had surprised her a bit at the time. Ashara hoped that the old priest of Corellon said what he had not because he believed them hungry for magic or wealth, but because they did have a penchant for exploring interesting places that...perhaps were best left alone... Vailis just wanted to see them return!

The priestess nodded to Kaldric in agreement and returned a weak smile. She had no desire to go down into these crypts at all, but with the fate of the Dawnspire in the balance, certain rules would have to be bent for the time being.

With any luck this little expedition would uncover enough necessary information to assuage her guilt over breaking her promise to Vailis... When he found out, there was certain to be some yelling, and she just wanted to be sure to have a defense prepared!

Ashara peered down the dark stairway. Rubbled choked the passage, but it looked as if some of it had been pushed aside by some previous explorers. Probably nothing recent considering the amount of brush that had to be cut through to get here, but this tower had definitely been visited since its fall. She wondered if they'd made it out... Probably would find out soon enough.

To get a better peek inside, she tried switching her sight to infravision, and was more than a little disappointed to see that nothing happened. It must be temporary magic, not a permanent change. Fortunately she'd been somewhat prepared for that eventuality and had borrowed a small, hooded lantern from the Dawnspire. Torches would normally be fine, but there was no sense in choking the whole party with smoke down there in the enclosed crypt.

Unhooking the lantern from her belt, she lit it, meeting Elric's emerald eyes with a little shrug. Maybe the ability would come back to her once they left the boundaries of the magic dead area, but even if it didn't, at least they were able to put it to good use last night. Her look of disappointment brightened into a grin. Lots of memories made here that would one day be revisited!

"Alright then," she said cheerfully, taking her place behind the two infravision users, "let's get what information we need and then leave whomever may be buried here, to their rest."

"Absolutely!" Elric agreed. Nimbly he hopped through the rubble with the skill and grace he took for granted. Durlan the dwarf however made do with strength and determination. As the Stone scattered in his wake, clearing a path for those behind him Elric couldn't help but wince at the noise. Sneaking up on whatever may be down here was a long shot at best... but he had hoped...

The light from behind him cast eerie shadow's to dance around him. He hadn't realized how much he preferred the steady glow of his holy symbol over the flicker of flame. Infravision revealed little more.

The stairs led down to a empty room strewn with dirt and rubble. A shriek above him followed by a flurry of rustling caused him to shout a warning behind him. Paranoia seemed to be stretching his nerves thin as a cluster of bats flew past him down through an open doorway along the southwest wall. So much for the dwarf making too much noise he thought to himself.

Calling out the 'all clear' the others slowly filed into the room. Old tapestries clung to the wall, their images lost from the exposure to the elements. Something about one of them seemed off to the half-elf though. An almost imperceptible shift in the stone pattern next to it. As he ran his hand over it, he could feel the faintest hint of air moving.

"Found sumethin!" Durlan called out distracting Elric. The dwarf was looking at section of wall on the opposite side he was. "This Stone here's meant to be movin'!"

"Secret doors all around then." Elric answered. "I've got something here too... Though.. I can't find any switches..." The frustration was evident in his strained voice.

"There may not be one..." Jorelon answered. "Mage tower, mage doors... May need a magic word or something to trigger it. Which of course isn't going to work...."

"So... Brute force then?" Came the gruff reply. Their was a hint of eagerness in the dwarf's voice.

"Probably... but which way do we want to go first?" Elric posed the question.

As startling as the bats had been, they were a welcome sign of life in the otherwise desolate ruin. Being natural creatures, Ashara hoped that they were evidence that nothing...unnatural was sharing these living quarters with them!

The priestess carefully peeked around the corner down the southwest corridor where the bats had flown, while the others searched the walls and examined tapestries. The hallway turned south and ran only about ten feet before the meager light from her lantern illuminated a heavy wooden door.

It was then that Durlan and Elric announced their discovery of the secret passageways. The well-hidden doors had to be specifically pointed out to her, and even then it was hard to make out the entire outline. What she also didn't see were any scrape marks along the floor showing that the stone slabs may have been opened. No gouges in the hair-width crack, where some adventurers may have tried to pry open the doors.

"I... I don't think anyone has actually found these doors yet!" Ashara's eyes sparkled with the excitement of new discovery. "Our best bet for finding this valuable information, might be to look where the scavengers haven't been. Maybe start at the one closest to where we entered?

"There's also a large wooden door down the hall over there," she said pointing to the southwest, "in case these stone doors prove to be a little too problematic for us." With a teasing grin, she turned toward Durlan. "They do look awfully heavy..."

The dwarf's eyes lit up with the grin that was hidden by his bushy black beard. "That it does young lady... but this ain't the first wall this dwarf's had to knock down in his time."

"Really?!? I thought dwarves were better at putting them up then knocking them down?" Elric joked as he put his shoulder to the wall braced himself.

"Aye... First we...Grrr.... Knock em' down...." Dwarf and Half-elf strained against the hidden the door and felt it quiver. "Then... mmmm... Then we build em' right!"

Sweat was starting to form and hardened muscles bulged as the door slowly slid back about a foot.

"I think... " Elric muttered as the stone screeched across the ground. "I think this one was made.... grrrr... Pretty well!"

The dwarf's eyebrows crunching in agreement was the only thing Elric got as the door shuddered and slid back another foot. With about three feet clearance, it looked like enough room to squeeze through.

The door was a solid 3 feet wide, and went the length of the ceiling. As they walked around the section, Durlan mumbled something about magic users. Elric looked again and noticed what he meant.

"This was never meant to be moved manually... No hinges... no mechanism... Just Stone. Probably would have shifted with a word if we knew it."

"And magic worked here..." Jorelon added

"That too..."

The sound of dwarven cursing came from the darkness and Elric spun quickly to aid him. Dwarvish was soon joined with pixish which then turned into a familiar if weary chuckle.

"Ok guys... You aren't going to believe this..." Elric sighed as he turned to his other companions.

"Now... I realize that wizards have a reputation for privacy and security..."

"Paranoia and anti-social is more like it... " came a grumbling from behind the half-elf.

Stepping out of the way of Ashara's lantern the light revealed them to be on the tip of an L shaped hallway. Both sections ending in solid walls. Logic more than instinct quickly revealed a hidden door on each side.

"Seriously... Are ALL of this guy's doors going to be like this?" Remembering the door the bat's flew down he quickly amended himself. "Hidden, or probably illusioned? Right now, I'm going to assume anything we actually see.... was an illusion before the magic failed..."

"It's quite possible the Gem-Mage never used these corridors," Kaldric enlightened them. "Even today wizards often use teleportation triggers to get them from room-to-room. All of this may very well have been put here for our benefit, or those with intentions far more sinister than ours. If magic remained, each of these doors undoubtedly possessed potent magical protections capable of obliterating those without the correct knowledge to by-pass them.

"Exciting stuff, really," he said, looking right then left. Putting a hand on the inside shoulders of dwarf and half-elf, he grinned and relayed, "Perhaps we should try the other secret passage first, before making a decision as to which way to go?"

Durlan and Elric looked at Kaldric, then each other. Shrugging, they walked across the room and Started shoving the first hidden door Elric had found.

Within minutes the way was clear again and the half-elf found himself staring down a long hallway on either side. To his right was a simple wooden door that had long been broken in.

"This is a little more like it.. " He called back to those following. Room up front and Hallway to the left." He sighed a bit as he pointed to his right. Also we have a good Forty... Fifty foot hallway that goes nowhere... Anybody actually 'believe' that?"

Ashara and her lantern walked a few steps down the hallway to the left so she could peek around the corners. It was an oddly shaped hallway with a couple alcoves that looked like they should have doors, but she had no skill in finding such things.

"Well, I don't see anything down there to the left," she smirked as she rejoined the group," whiiiich probably means that there's more potential for stone heaving down at that end of the hallway as well."

The perspiring dwarf and half elf were standing side by side, hands on hips, making the most of this breather until it was decided in which direction to proceed. Moving the huge stone slabs was an impressive feat, and exhausting work... From the look of this place, the pair could be shoving open these secret doors all day long, and knowing her husband as well as typical dwarven mentality, if necessary they'd both keep going until they collapsed.

Hopefully that wouldn't be necessary. Hopefully the revered gem-mage didn't mind walking on occasion instead of simply using those teleportation triggers that Kaldric referred to!

Ashara flashed a sympathetic smile to both half elf and dwarf. "Since we're here, why don't we check out that broken in door down the hall to the right? Looks like somehow someone got in there before us, but with all these secret doors, maybe the mage kept some important information there. Maybe something was missed.

"Oh, and I'm not saying you'll need it tonight, Durlan," she grinned mischievously, stepping up and patting the dwarf on his knotted shoulder, "but Elric makes an amazing ointment for treating sore muscles, and I'm sure he'd be happy to help with the application of it later."

Peering into the blackness that swallowed both "dead ends" of the long corridor, Ashara winced slightly. "Could be a long day..."

Elric grimaced involuntarily while silently mouthing his thanks to his grinning wife. He hoped the dwarf had a bit too much pride to accept a lathering down from the half-elf... Fortunately, if the dwarf noticed any reactions he didn't let on, though Jorelon was doing his best to hide a grin.

Durlan marched down toward the mystery walls to the north while Elric ducked through the damaged doorway. The first thing that hit was the old musty smell of ruined books.

The walls of the room were lined with sagging bookcases, on which lied crumbling scrolls and illegible whitish paste. A small lonely desk sat in the corner covered in dust. Two old wax candles lay discarded by whoever had come in before them. The figher couldn't help but wonder what the missing candlesticks had looked like...

In the corner was a large stone statue of a half-elf in mages robes looking quite formidable and intimidating. He hadn't heard that the gem-mage... If that was indeed Arguth represented.... had been half-elven! And Kaldric believed he was the master of Windsong tower... The esteem in their prismatic friend's voice indicated how big of an honor that must have been! He looked forward to telling Therogeon about that little detail!

"Guys... You may want to see this!" He called out behind him. He stuck his head out in time to see the dwarf coming back down.

"Aye! We've got at least one movin' wall down there... Maybe two.. Ain't certain on the other one..."

Elric looked down the opposite direction of the hallway that also ended in a wall. "Well... We've got a study in here... I'm not seeing much salvageable... but apparently there isn't anyway in here without teleporting or hidden doors... That has to mean something!"

After the half elf's all clear sign, Ashara eagerly moved into the study just behind Kaldric, whose eyes, though no longer magically prismatic, gleamed with the hope of new knowledge.

As the mage made a bee line toward the bookcases, the priestess gave them a wide berth. Gods forbid she accidentally step on something or brush against a scroll that might crumble to dust at the slightest touch! Instead, Ashara made her way over to the desk and statue.

Whomever had come through here and looted the place seemed to have done a pretty thorough job as Elric had mentioned. Nothing of any use was left on the desk, or on the floor apart from perhaps what the mage was delicately picking through.

The nine-foot tall statue of a half elven mage stood proudly in the corner, looking down his nose at the intruders. Apparently the previous intruders had taken some exception to the condescension, as nicks and gouges marred the worn but otherwise in tact effigy.

With a soft sigh, Ashara carefully blew a cloud of dust from the desk and set the lantern down upon it. She prayed that Kaldric would find something of value. If not however, there still seemed to be a good deal of exploring to do and a lot of day left to do it!

One thing that bothered her was how someone got in here to loot the study. The secret door they'd come in didn't appear to have been opened manually... Even she would have noticed that! One end of the hallway had been checked already and it didn't seem that any walls had been shoved aside down there either.

Figuring that Kaldric would need a bit of time to look over any promising material, Ashara stepped out of the study into the hall and lit a torch, leaving the lantern for those staying within the pillaged room.

"Could I get a second set of eyes with me to check out this other end of the hall," she asked of those who weren't actively involved in searching. "I'm interested to see if there's another secret door down there...one that's maybe been opened forcefully."

Kaldric picked through the tomes one-by-one, delicately sliding them from the shelf to inspect them thoroughly and with a tenderness shown to newborns. How thankful he was that the scavengers who had arrived here before them knew nothing about the importance of all these tomes and scrolls! They had probably found what few magical trinkets had been hidden away here and moved on, oblivious to the real treasures of Myth Drannor: magical theory from an earlier age and mythal knowledge. Given those and enough study time, he could recreate anything the Gem-Mage possessed. Even with that being the case, re-creating such magic paled in comparison to learning the secrets of mythalcraft. The Veil Initiate had essentially been away from the world for a decade now studying the intricacies of the City of Song, but scenes such as this one helped reinforce just how little he missed of that world. People were impatient. Anything that failed to serve immediately was discarded as a waste of time and energy when, in truth, what one could learn from the "refuse" left behind was often more valuable.

"We'll not be able to take all this with us," he said aloud to anyone who might care to listen, still studying the text in his hands. "But there's too much valuable information here to leave it all behind. I'll need about an hour to sort through for the choicest material."

Jorelon leapt at Ashara's suggestion. Elric glanced up from the wall he was examining with a concerned look. "Splitting up isn't a great idea... Don't go too far!" he said with a wink. "Certainly not outside screaming range!

"Durlan? Let's keep looking for anything that may be hidden in here... Kaldric take your time. Ring not included... I'm hoping this may be what you were looking for!"

He watched as the two priests left the ramshackle study a bit uneasily. He'd heard the rumors floating around the Dawnspire... parties got separated and walked into abandoned portals or teleport fields and either ended up on the other side of the city.. or never seen again. For once he was glad the place was in a dead magic. It should serve to keep them safe as he doubted a master mage such as this, relied too heavily on 'conventional' traps.

****************

"THERE!!!" Jorelon pointed excitedly. Deep scratches showed on the floor where the wall had been slid at one time. "Whoever found the study, must have come from here... " A concerned look crossed his face.

"And they closed the door behind them... " He glanced back where they had come from. As much effort as Elric and Durlan had put into moving the walls.. the idea of putting them back afterward had never even come up. Besides, pulling the wall shut behind them would have been a lot harder than pushing it out in the first place.
"Whoever found their way back here... must have wanted to keep it secret..."

Ashara knelt down and ran her fingers through the deep grooves in the stone. "Hmm... Door still being shut and all, it doesn't seem like they made it back to take everything of value...

"That's good for us, I suppose," she said brushing the dust off her hands as she stood. "Maybe they overlooked exactly the information that Kaldric needs to take care of this rogue DMZ."

Turning her attention to the sandy-haired youth at her side, a single eyebrow slowly crept skyward. She hadn't looked closely at Jorelon since they entered the dead magic, but seeing him now Ashara could notice subtle differences in his appearance. He looked...older... Not significantly so, but enough to confirm that if this area did indeed roll over the Dawnspire and her inhabitants, that there would be more than a few priests that wouldn't survive the onslaught of years.

Now that she thought about it, Kaldric might have aged a bit himself... She probably would have noticed more definitely if she hadn't been so distracted by the suddenly natural coloring of his eyes and plain white robes!

The two priests turned and started back the short distance to the study, now that this end of the hall was found to be secured from possible wandering threats. If they were going to be here for a little while looking for answers, it was best if there was only one entry that needed to be watched!

"Jorelon," she questioned him as they walked, in a tone saturated with curiosity, "if you don't mind me asking, how long have you been here in Myth Drannor? Did you come here in answer to the Morninglord's call, or was it something else that brought you to the ruins?"

"Hmmm??" the priest glanced over to her. His eyes faded for a moment. A weak grin crossed his face.

"When you join the Seekers... and give yourself fully to Myth Drannor, it's never a good idea to get too nostalgic."

He was quiet for a moment before he replied. "My story is drastically less interesting than yours sister. No major Revelations or divine intervention... Just a kid who didn't want to be shackled to his father's life.

"Lathander was a large influence in my little village. It's a small place on the outskirts of Cormyr." He sighed a little as the images of home flashed through his memory.

"My father was a farmer as was his father, and his father before him. I... I just couldn't do it. I couldn't stand the thought of my whole life planned out before I even started it! I needed a new beginning. The rest simply fell into place."

A look of sadness came over him, undoubtedly thoughts and regrets of the family he'd left behind. "I wish I'd said more to them... but that was some time ago, and the Dawnspire... Well... It's kind of a 'permanent' placement.

"I joined the church when I was Fifteen... One of the first adventuring groups I joined with chose to come here. I hadn't even heard of the Dawnspire at the time... Out to seek fame and fortune, most of my companions died here... Only myself and one other escaped due to the timely rescue of the Subprior Telcharr and a couple of Tallathern's Fingers...

That was in 1357 I believe..." He did some quick math in his head and unconsciously ran his hand over his face wondering if anything had changed yet. "So, I've been here ever since. I guess... I'm about thirty-five now."

Ashara winced at the mention of Cormyr. By all reports, the war with the Devil Dragon and her army that ended almost a year ago now with her death as well as the death of King Azoun the IV, had taken its toll on the nation. She hoped that Jorelon's family hadn't become victims of that war... She wondered if he even knew about the king's death! Now was probably not the best time to go worrying the man about his family, though he certainly had a right to know, so she resolved to pull him aside once the Dawnspire was secure. If he didn't hear about it from her, he would learn it from someone else and if there was something that could be done to help his family or at very least a letter that he might wish to have delivered to them, she wanted to help where she could.

"Eveningstar? Is that where you're from?" Ashara asked after a moment of thought. There were only two temples to the Morninglord in Cormyr that she knew of, and Marsember was hardly a farming community...

Jorelon nodded and she chuckled, giving him a nod of her own in understanding. "I heard there's a temple there that aids adventurers delving into the Haunted Halls. It's no wonder you felt the pull of the road, what with all of those brave companies using the town as their base of operations! I didn't get out of Impresk until I was twenty but if I'd grown up around all that, I really don't think I would have made it that long!"

When they returned to the study, the priestess poked her head into the cramped, ten-foot square room, made more so by the human, half elf and dwarf searching for anything that might be useful to their mission. "There is a secret door that's been opened down there," she said addressing the three inside, "though someone actually went to the trouble of closing it again...

"Since it's clear at that end too, brother Jorelon and I will take up watch just a few feet down the hall here across from the secret door we came in through, to be sure that nothing decided to come check out what all the racket was about." Ashara smiled and shot Elric a wink. "No worries, my dear, well within screaming distance!"

Elric chuckled. He was lucky. It would have been very easy for a woman of Ashara's experiences to consider his concern 'patronizing'... Instead she found it 'cute.' Oh well. Cute works. In a place as dangerous as this, it would have to do. The concern wasn't going to change!

He ran his hands along the stone wall when a subtle change caught his attention. He rapped the stone a few times with the pommel of his sword and listened to the distinctive change in tone. "Guy's... I found something."

Certain there was a hidden compartment here, but unable to find a catch of any kind the half-elf growled to himself. Seems this guy trusted only magic... no magic, no access. Very frustrating...

He looked over at the dwarf and asked, "How thick do you think?"

Durlan raised a bushy eyebrow and tapped a couple times himself. "About half as thick as the other blocks.. I'd guess about 3...4 inches."

Elric nodded and looked at the wall again. 4 inches... That was pushing it. He had cracked stone before, but only around an inch or two. Though he knew he could do more. After all he was only using his hands... If Danica had been here, she'd have used her head!

He stared at the concealed brick for a moment. If he was wrong... this would really hurt! The lack of healing ability down here was just an added wrinkle. Shaking his head he focused again. It was either this, or let Durlan chop the wall with his axe... Which would only bring every enemy this side of the river down on their heads.

Quickly and powerfully he slammed his fist into the stone wall, and heard a crack. Then a low whistle that came from the dwarf besides him. Flexing his fingers he breathed a sigh of relief. sifting through the broken block he turned a piece over in his hands. "Three inches..." he said with a grin.

Inside was a small chest that seemed well preserved. He imagined it had been trapped at one time, though everything he had seen suggested it'd have been a magical trap. Still he was careful as he opened it. Inside was a book made of expensive, if unrecognizable leather. Next to it was two potions. Though it was unlikely that they'd work down here.

Brushing the book off, he handed the tome to Kaldric.

****

The two priests were engaged in quite the interesting discussion in the hall. Jorelon was pleased that she probed so much for any information of when Lathander had come... And he had the stories to tell!!!

He hadn't been at the Dawnspire long when the god had graced them with his presence, and for one of his ranking he had little contact with the deity. Though, Jorelon pointed out, Lathander DID speak to him!! It was an amazing experience and one that he realized he hadn't spoken aloud about in many years. Still the feelings and emotions of the time flooded back in.

It was extra special to him the way the priestess hung on every word he said. Her... the wielder of Dawnspeaker, Favored of Lathander was so intent on HIS story. A story that was interrupted by the sound of something heavy falling from inside the room. Quickly he took a look inside and turned back to the priestess with an unreadable look on his face.

"Ummm... I think... That your husband just put his fist through the wall... The umm.. Stone wall..." Another quick look and an even more confused look. "He seems fine about it though..."

Jorelon's priceless expression elicited a string of light laughter from the priestess that finished with a sigh slightly more girlish than she'd intended.

"He is amazing," she grinned proudly, "a master of Salk-Sirra! Ten silver says he didn't even break the skin! Believe me, my friend, those tales I told last night weren't embellished in the slightest...if trouble happens to find us out here, you're bound to see even more astounding things from that man!"

While the Everdawns were on the road, Elric kept up that particular portion of his training by breaking logs for firewood. Not chopping... Breaking. She'd seen him crack through over six inches of wood without batting an eye and there was no doubt he could do more!

"If he's punching walls in there, they must've found something," she said excitedly, and it was only experience kept her at her post rather than rushing right into the study.

Inevitably, the very moment they left their self-appointed watch, something sinister would slink down the hallway and ambush them in that little room. That's the kind of fail that clung to a person and Ashara wasn't about to risk it...

Smiling up at the priest, she waved him back over. "I'm sure they'll let us know if they found what we're looking for," she sighed, resolving (with difficulty) to be patient. "Until then, maybe you could tell more about Lathander and the Seekers battling Kiaransalee and her undead minions!"

Jorelon obliged happily and launched into the story, but even as he did so, Ashara snuck a glance down the hall toward the doorway, wondering what was going on in there!

Sorting through the veritable treasure trove of exquisite magical works proved a true test of the wizard's scholarly discipline. Numerous tomes, librams, journals, and scrolls depicted nearly every sort of mystical study, and he had an overwhelming urge to pack up everything for the express purpose of lining a library's walls with it at the Dawnspire. Inevitably, that's exactly what would be done, he reminded himself more than once. This venture had grown into something larger than just information seeking, however. The Towerkin Ring, if it resided anywhere upon this Isle, needed to be found. The Veil Initiate held faith that such an item had to be located in the home of the Gem-Mage somewhere, since this was the best lead available to them. The Masters of Windsong Tower had been a secretive lot, and, while his inferences about Master Arguth derived primarily from pieced together conjecture, he believed enough evidence existed in the plethora of sources he'd examined to support the theory. An enormous weight settled upon his shoulders demanding he be right about this. Who knew how long it might take to discover another one?

A single mark on the binding of a faded royal blue tome caught the learned Kaldric's plain amber eye. Barely an instant's examination of it threatened to choke him with his own inhaled breath, for he recognized it as the personal rune of the Srinshee, one of the original workers of Myth Drannor's Mythal! With trembling hands, the mage reached for the tome and carefully slid it from the shelf with more loving tenderness than a botanist handling the most delicate flower on Toril. The knowledge to be gleaned from that tome alone promised to vault him beyond all other scholarly circles dedicated to the Art in Myth Drannor! Glee bordering on the edge of hysteria built up inside him, almost to the point he forgot how to breathe.

Then he registered the damaged pages and gasped!

"The Nine Hells be plundered," he cursed, cradling the partially destroyed tome to his chest. His eyes brimmed with wetness, and a single tear won free to crawl lazily down his cheek. "How could Time be so cruel to you?" he whispered, appalled. "My apologies that I could not be more prompt in saving you. I give you this solemn oath: that I will extract every bit of knowledge I can from this so it won't be lost forever." The vow accompanied a moment of weakness in his legs, forcing him to lean against a sturdy shelf. A few moments lapsed before the mage regained full control of his mental faculties.

Drying his eyes, Kaldric deposited the tome beside three others in a second satchel brought along for this explicit purpose before continuing his search. A pair of texts joined the books not long after, as well as a scroll that he gently stored inside a case designed to keep it safe.

After he had explored about two-thirds of the chamber's offerings, Elric handed him an expensive leather bound book lacking identifiable runes anywhere upon it. Kaldric opened it for a quick perusal, but found it coded in a secret cipher of which traces certainly pertained to arcane writing. Due to the circumstances of their current location, he decided currently reading any of it an impossibility. Definitely a keeper.

Shortly thereafter, the Initiate completed his cursory cataloging of the many volumes and pinpointed little more of use toward their immediate goal. He sighed at the thought of leaving so much behind, but resolved to come back when the Dawnspire's existence no longer teetered on the brink of destruction.

"I've collected all that's necessary for now," Kaldric informed the others. "Let's continue onward and find the Towerkin Ring."

"Excellent!" Elric responded as he turned toward the door. Kaldric had asked for an hour... and had used every second of it. The half-elf was ready to continue on. While he was certain Kaldric would disagree, and Therogeon even more so... he found mages' studies to be boring!

Stepping out into the hall, he grinned as he saw Ashara soaking in whatever story Jorelon had been telling. He made a mental note to quiz her later... One more verse for the eventual song to be sure....

"Looks like we're ready here..." He said as they turned to notice him. "Any ideas where we should go from here?"

Jorelon shrugged as he pointed down the hall. "Two north doors that hadn't been found yet... one to the south that had. Do we want to follow in other's footprints, or go where nobody else has?"

Durlan chuckled at the question. "Don't know... It's a lot easier when you ain't looking for nuthin' in particuar... Trying to find a simple gold ring that ain't seen in centuries... " He left the thought unspoken.

Ashara stood and brushed the dust from her crimson cloak, surprised at how quickly the time had gone. Her love for stories had been instilled in her from when she was a small child, and perhaps had been what fueled her desire for adventure as she grew. Elric's father was largely to blame... Those stories of Arden and Marinelle had shaped the young girl's mind and sparked a fire in her that still burned brightly.

Now they were day by day writing their own stories. Tales of the Champions of the Red Dawn, and the continuing adventures of Elric and Ashara, which they would one day tell their own children who may then be influenced by such stories into a life of adventure of their own! And on and on it would go...

She shook off the fanciful thoughts as she had the dust from her cloak, realizing that firstly, they would have to survive Myth Drannor!

"Well," the priestess began, as she smiled at the group, "I would suggest that if the looters went south, perhaps we should go to one of the secret doors to the north first. I doubt they would have just passed by a gold ring if they saw it, judging from the missing candlesticks in the study.

"I think either one of those doors to the north would be fine, Durlan! Maybe the one farthest north, or whichever one looks less heavy," she teased.

Kaldric emerged from the room with two ancient books clutched against his chest and slightly reddened eyes, which surprised Ashara a bit. He seemed more emotionally invested in this city than he would be if he was merely seeking its secret power. Something she was definitely interested in discussing with him later!

Moving toward Elric, she took back her lantern that they'd been using to light the study.

"Jorelen said you performed a little salk-sirra demonstration in there," she said, smiling as she glanced down at her husband's unblemished knuckles. "I'm sorry I missed it!"

"Yes... well..." the half-elf looked down at his knuckles. "Magic is a marvelous thing, when it works. Otherwise... it's a door with no hinges." He shook his head and grinned. "So much for mages planning so far in advance. If that book was what I think it was, then he would have trapped his own spellbook in the middle of the wall!"

"Speakin' of Doors with no hinges..." The dwarf grumbled as they approached the far northern wall. "Let's get to work!"

With an exaggerated sigh, Elric braced himself and pushed for all he was worth. Little by little the hidden door started to slide. Every time the scraping stone echoed down the hallway, the half-elf cringed. While they'd been lucky so far... he held little illusion that the entire keep was deserted.

Before too long however the door ceased to slide altogether. Something was different this time, and the half-elf didn't like different. Holding his finger to his lips he pressed his pointed ear to the wall and just listened.

After a few moments, he breathed a sigh of relief. Ears that had been long trained to sense the slightest movement hadn't alerted him to anything.

Squeezing through the tight opening he let his eyes adjust to the darkness around him. A cold chill went down his spine as the smell of old death assaulted him. A quick glance revealed the problem. A pile of rusted weapons were leaning against the wall. Useless as weapons they still made a marvelous doorstop. With a a clang he pushed some old scimitars out of the way, and within moments the others were there beside him.

The original purpose of the room was unknown, but something had been here recently. The door (FINALLY a real door,) was leaning open to whatever lay beyond. Bones littered the ground around them... Animals and people alike from the looks of things. Whatever was in here, was instinctual enough eat people... and a glance at the pile of weapons he realized it had to be sentient enough to keep trophies...

Looking through the scraps of remains, there wasn't much to be found... but sometimes even the scraps in a place like this held a certain amount of fascination...

Of Rings, they found nothing... though to be honest, nobody really expected to. Of note, the companions, noticed a belt buckle (though the belt had long rotted away) made of Everbright silver, and engraved with the image of a leaping horse. The hilt of a sword, whose blade had rusted away was made of Electrum plating and would undoubtedly fetch a fair price somewhere... if the Seekers couldn't make some use of it... A single boot of Dale fashion. Recent enough that it would still be in style if they'd found a match... but no twin could be found.

Elric shivered as he held up a loose strap of cloth. At first he thought it to be some kind of sling, but soon enough he realized what it was. A black leather Eyepatch. It's owner no doubt one of the adventurers who'd fallen prey inside here. Inside the patch was still a platinum piece loosely sewn into the lining. For emergencies, he guessed.

A skittering sound above them had Elric spinning around staring at the ceiling. Whatever it was, it seemed to think twice about attacking a group this large... though Elric had little doubt that if it thought it had the upper hand... things might be very different.

"We all set in here?" he asked as he thought he saw the flicker of light reflecting in multiple eyes above him.